ECHL Wheeling Nailers

Nailers Dominate Chiefs 6-1

March 6, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release


WHEELING, W.Va. - The Wheeling Nailers wasted little time Friday night setting the tempo in yet another important game against the Johnstown Chiefs. On this night, it was the Nailers who shot out of the gate, scoring three first period goals en route to a 6-1 win over the Chiefs, who never recovered after the barrage.

The Nailers got a huge boost from a few AHL-experienced players in the first period. Recently reassigned to the Nailers from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, defenseman Jon D'Aversa gave the Nailers the lead just 1:38 into the frame when he beat Sebastian Dahm on a low slapper from the blue line. Jordan Morrison and Bryan Ewing, did the rest of the damage.

Morrison scored an unassisted goal midway through the first on a backhander that beat Dahm stick side. Morrison's tally ended up being the game-winner. Ewing also beat Dahm stick side. His goal came a little over five minutes after Morrison's on a top shelf slapper that repositioned the goaltender's water bottle and relegated Dahm to the bench in favor of Ian Keserich.

Ewing added his second goal of the game and 38th of his season in the second period when he flipped a puck past Keserich at the 15:12 mark on assists by Luca Caputi and Kelly Sullivan. The goal upped Wheeling's lead to 4-0, and the rout was on in the third.

D'Aversa added his second tally of the game in the third, and Doug Krantz scored from the point to give the Nailers a touchdown lead on the Chiefs. Blair Yaworski spoiled the shutout for Wheeling goaltender Curtis Darling when he scored at the mark of the third frame. Darling was excellent in stopping 39 of Johnstown's 40 shots.

The win, coupled with losses by Cincinnati and Elmira, was enough to bring the Nailers into another tie for second place in the North Division. With 67 points, the Nailers now just two points behind first-place Cincinnati.

The Nailers host the Chiefs again at 8:05 p.m. at WesBanco Arena tomorrow night. The first 1,000 fans age 14 and under will receive a free youth Nailers jersey courtesy of United Bank and WTOV. The Nailers are also offering a Ticket Extravaganza tomorrow night. Upon entering Saturday's game, fans can put a ticket into various different baskets for the chance to win free tickets to games and events. Tickets in the extravaganza include the Pittsburgh Penguins and Pirates, and Kennywood Park. To order tickets call 877-NAIL-TIX or visit wheelingnailers.com.

Check out the Wheeling Nailers Statistics



ECHL Stories from March 6, 2009


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central